Gallup: 8 of Every 10 Americans Give Thumbs Down to Congress

More than eight out of every 10 Americans disapprove of the job Congress is doing, according to the Gallup organization.

“Congress' current 15 percent approval rating is up slightly from the all-time low of 10 percent recorded in February and August 2012,” the polling firm found. “Just before the presidential election last year, approval increased to 21 percent in October, but then fell to 18 percent in November and December and has been lower still, at 14 percent and 15 percent, over the first two months of this year.”

Last year’s 15 percent approval rating marks the lowest yearly average in Gallup’s polling history, which dates back to 1974.

“More broadly, Americans' approval of Congress has been low for several years now, averaging 17 percent in 2011 and 19 percent in 2010,” Gallup said. “Approval spiked to 30 percent in 2009, reflecting a rally that accompanied President Barack Obama's first year in office, but was at 19 percent in 2008.”

Gallup noted that prior to 2008 yearly congressional job-approvals had averaged 25 percent or higher as far back as 1994.

“The record-high yearly averages for congressional job approval were 56 percent in 2001 and 54 percent in 2002, reflecting a rally effect that followed the 9/11 terrorist attacks,” according to Gallup.

The latest telephone survey was taken between Feb. 7-10 based on a random sampling of 1,015 adults in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. The margin of error was +/-4.

More than eight out of every 10 Americans disapprove of the job Congress is doing, according to the Gallup organization.
Congress' current 15 percent approval rating is up slightly from the all-time low of 10 percent recorded in February and August 2012, the polling firm...